Girl Power

Over the past two months, Beijing This Month was invited to two restaurants with strong female touches, Verandah and Flora, both featuring European style and operated by two trios of young women.

The three ladies at Verandah share a love for fine dining with a European flavour, hence Verandah, a restaurant that serves European dishes in an expatriate enclave on the banks of the Duck Lake River near the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB).

As the name suggests, Verandah has a terrace overlooking the river. On a tranquil afternoon, a cup of tea, an interesting book and warm sunshine will allow a good escape from the hustle and bustle of downtown.

Verandah's executive chef has 10-years'experience of service in some of Beijing’s leading five-star hotels. He and his 11-member team present a European menu that emphasizes Italian cuisine, but also that of France and Scandinavia.

Flora is a mini cafe with only four tables indoors. It is a pity that you cannot savour Flora’s dishes in its lovely yard in the winter, but, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?

Flora is a dream fulfilled for three mid-20’s young women. They have travelled often in Europe and have fallen in love with it. They want to share this with their friends, so Flora came into being. Diners will see their European candle collections in every corner of Flora.

The owners regard flora a place to meet friends, not just a restaurant. A friendly environment that includes two chefs and a bartender is so congenial that almost every diner becomes a friend of Flora.

The owners eagerly embrace innovation, so Flora’s menu has its own unique features. One of the chefs studied the culinary arts in Spain for two years, so semi-Chinese and semi-Spanish dishes dominate his offerings. The bartender is an expert in dietetics, so you may have some surprising experiences if you try her special drink creations.

Verandah will host a special Christmas’ Eve celebration with a menu beginning at 268 yuan per person that includes prawn salad, duck breasts, mashed potatoes and pecan pie.

Address of Verandah: 8 Laiguangying Donglu, Chaoyang District

朝阳区来广营东路8号

Tel: +86 10 8470 3821

Address of Flora: the east end of Bei Bing Ma Si Hutong